What I do in Quarantine (besides write)

There’s something terrifying about the world right now. I don’t need to tell you about that. I am fortunate enough to work from home full time, so rather than beginning my full-time authorial career walking to the library, or coffee shops. 

I have my office.

And my living room.

And my kitchen.

And on the rare occasions the weather is cooperating, my deck. (But there’s a duck that’s been harassing me so even when the weather’s nice I get a half hour max outdoor office time.)

It’s very glamorous, I know. 

The point of this digression is that I have a bit more time on my hands and a bit less brain power to do something creative with it. So I’m going to tell you about my media consumption highlights since February. The great, the good, and the still holds up. 

I’m by no means a critic or an arbiter of taste. Here are the shows, books, movies, and podcasts that have been keeping me sane when my essential worker husband leaves me alone all day. 

Movies- New to me:

1. Onward- A 2020 Pixar movie available on Disney Plus. I’m 99.9% sure they made this movie for me. It has Chris Pratt playing an RPG loving nerdy older brother to Tom Holland’s more skittish wants to be cool younger brother. It is amazing and if you like DND or heartfelt movies, watch it. (And tell me about it because I’m dying to talk to people about it.)

2. Willow- A 1988 Ron Howard  movie available on Disney Plus that left me saying “How have I never seen this before” every five minutes. It’s amazing. Starring young Warwick Davis as Willow, it is a fantasy film of adventure, friendship and special effects that held up surprisingly well. Plus Val Kilmer hot off of Top Gun. 

This is the point where I should admit I don’t watch a lot of movies. Honorable mentions include the animated Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback of Notre Dame. Both held up really well to a re-watch probably over a decade since the last time I’ve seen either. Although, if there is a “no Jason Alexander gargoyle cut” floating around, let me know. It would increase my husband’s enjoyment of Hunchback exponentially. 

TV- New to me:

1. Beforeigners- If you follow me on twitter, you know I’m obsessed with this HBO show. It is a Norwegian cop drama that takes place in modern Oslo with a major twist. People from the past are showing up in the present day. After the opening, there is a time jump and we follow one of the past people as she starts a career as a cop. 

   1. Trust me, this show is amazing. 100% if you watch it, please email me, Facebook me, tweet me, dm me on Instagram, smoke signals, anything. I love this show and do not have enough people to talk to about it. 

2. Fargo- A bit late to the hype on Fargo, but I’m halfway through season two and I am obsessed. We’re watching on Hulu but I think it aired on FX. Each season has a different cast and case than the previous and so far, I’m loving it. Fargo season 1 was a blast and I am eagerly waiting my husband’s return from work so we can finish season two. 

   1. I am very familiar with Duluth so I was disappointed in the utter lack of hill...and lake in the Duluth scenes, but they have   and everything else is amazing, so I let my nitpick slide. 

3. What We Do In Shadows: This one is on Hulu (for me I think it’s also airing on FX) and is AMAZING. If you liked the 2014 movie, you will still like the show. Season 2 is airing, and every episode has me laughing out loud. My husband is constantly quoting Lazlo lines to me, but I know deep down, I’m more of a Colin Robinson type (though I kinda wish I was Nadya). 

TV- re-watches that hold up (or that I’ve re-watched and not cared if they held up)

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer- (Hulu) except for a few episodes and some cringey CGI in the early seasons, Buffy has held up for me. Currently cued for me is “The Body” so if you’ve seen the series, you know what I’m in for this afternoon. 

2. Top Chef (hulu; Amazon prime) I will make a confession here, I’m obsessed with profession-based reality competition shows. Top Chef is my favorite. I have it on in the background a lot when I cook, clean, cry in a corner after spending too much time on twitter and mourning the state in the world. Something about a group of people competing to prove who is the top of their chosen field is great to me. 

   1. (If, for some reason, a person reading this is a reality TV show producer and is interested in making a show about corrugated box designers... let me know... for reasons).

3. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Hulu) I’m not sure I need to explain myself here. The show is funny. The characters are amazing, and I love them.

Podcasts:

1. Wine and Crime: Three friends drink wine, chat True Crime, and unleash their worst Minnesotan accents. These girls never fail to make me laugh. 

   1. I listened to ep. 169: Stripper Crimes when it came out and I’m still laughing about Lucy twerking to Come on Eileen... on a pool table.... At three in the afternoon. 

2. Omnibus: Ken Jennings and John Roderick have over 250 episodes out about the most random things. Honestly, I don’t even listen for the episode titles anymore, these guys go on the most interesting and odd tangents. 

Books:

Disclaimer here: My reading list in the current environment is purely for comfort reading. My rereads are things I’ve read a million times. And my newly-reads are things that I was confident wouldn’t hurt my soul. As a writer who frequently does soul crushing stuff, I’m well aware of the apparent hypocrisy and I accept your judgement.

Old favorites:

1. In the past week I have re-read all 21of Ice Planet Barbarians and the first 3 of the Icehome series by Ruby Dixon. Yes, these books are about blue alien barbarians and their human mates. No, I don’t particularly care how ridiculous that sounds. These books are like coming home to me in the weirdest way possible and I will continue to insta-buy every one that comes out until Ruby Dixon retires. 

2. I fill my audible cue with The Utterly Uninteresting and Uninteresting Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes. Drew Hayes is another author where I don’t even read the descriptions of his books anymore, I just buy them. Normally the Super Powereds series is my go-to, but I needed to laugh so I turned to Fred. The Vampire Accountant series by Drew Hayes is episodic so I can pick a chapter, listen to it as I do a chore, then get my giggle on as I pretend to clean my house. 

New Books (since quarantine...I’ve definitely re-read these too. I’m a re-reader. I also read very fast).

1. As a speed reader and a Kindle Unlimited devotee, the fact I purchased the paperback of this book after reading the kindle edition, should be enough to tell you how much I love Harpyness is Only Skin Deep by D.H. Willison. It’s a different sort of portal fantasy that follows a character from Earth and one from Arvia as they both try to make their way in the world. I love Rinloh the harpy. She’s so freaking adorable and I just need more of her in my life. (Plus the paperback edition has a mantis on the spine).

2. The Faerene Apocalypse series by Jenny Schwartz. For someone as afraid of the plague as I am, I was really surprised I dove into these books as hard and fast as I did. There is something reassuring about the way Amy pragmatically handles everything the apocalypse throws at her. I devoured all five books in one sitting and then immediately reread the first one. 

Not that anyone asked, but my other quarantine activities are  petting Stinky. That’s it. This cat is taking up so much of my free time I can’t do the cool stuff like baking bread or picking up arts and crafts. He is literally sitting on my lap as I write this blog post. Not that I’m complaining. He’s adorable. 

I hope everyone stays safe, washes their hands, and consumes media that makes them happy. 

Please tell me about your favorite quarantine media. I’m accepting any and all suggestions. 

Minutes before disaster

The duck landed on the table about five minutes after this picture was taken. It was an angry duck. I’m afraid of my backyard now.

Stinky enjoyed West World season three as much as I did.

THE MANTIS. (oh and Harpyness is Only Skin Deep)

Ghost Eyes- Extended Epilogue

We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

Hello world!

I’ve been having so much fun posting deleted scenes, I couldn’t resist sharing this extended epilogue of Jen and Andrew’s road trip.
I’ve also been given a link to a spotify playlist with all the top-Ghost Eye jams if you want to take part in the road trip fun.

I’m a big road tripper, comment below your favorite road trip location! My personal current favorites in no particular order are: Wall Drug, Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota, House on the Rock, and Riverside IA.

Ghost Eyes Extended Epilogue:

Take me home tonight
I don't wanna let you go 'til you see the light

Andrew blasted Eddie Money as we cruised down the road. After three years, I still hadn’t tired of his slightly off-key singing.

“Where to next?” I asked. When I dozed off this morning, we’d been headed East, but now we were going North. He must have gotten a call from the Alpha Council while I was dreaming of chasing bunnies in the woods.

“Got a call from Beta Marquis, there’s been a rogue sniffing around their borders,” he said, “She wants me to check in with the Rogue Shifter Coalition to make sure he gets there alright.”

“Does that mean what I think it means?”

His answer didn’t matter, I was already in the playlist searching for just the right song.

“Please don’t start playin-”

Too late, Weird Al was already singing~

Well, I had two weeks of vacation time coming
After working all year down at Big Roy's Heating And Plumbing

“I’m not getting you chocolate soda this time,” Andrew grumbled.

He would, he’d also stop at every convenience store until we found potato skins and something that could be considered "pickled weiners.”

“BIGGEST BALL OF TWINNEE IN MINNEEESSOOOTTTAAAAA” I belted out once the chorus hit.

Andrew rolled his eyes, but he joined in the song.

“What else is on that list of yours?” he asked, “We stop at the twine ball every time we go to Easterville, can we try something new?”

“Ummm, well because we’re coming from the South…” I flipped to the Iowa page in my to visit notebook and mentally checked off all the places we’d already hit. “Squirrel Cage Jail, check, Matchstick museum, check, Clocks, check.”
”I haven’t shown you Riverside yet, have I?”

He hadn’t, and from the grin on his face, this was going to be fun.

“What’s in Riverside?”

“The future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk.”

“Who?”

“Captain Kirk. Only the greatest Enterprise Captain in all of Star Trek.”

“Star Trek?”

“Come on now, Jen, everyone knows Star Trek.”

“First of all, Mister big and sexy. I was feral for a decade, and I’ve been with you living in a van ever since. When would I have read Star Trek?”

“Seen, it’s a show, and movies, and well I guess there are probably books but-” his voice drifted off and he looked over. He pulled off his shades giving me the full force of his beautiful bi-colored eyes, mirrors to mine, “I thought you liked traveling in the van.”

“I do. I love it. I love traveling and waking up somewhere new every time.”

“But?”

“No buts, I’m happy. I get to be with you.”

“Would you be opposed to… to someday maybe…getting some territory of our own?” he asked, “With a house and kitchen and a forest to run around in?”

“And you’d be there?”

He laughed, “Jen, of course I’d be there.”

"Would we still get to travel?”

“As if I could keep you from your roadside attractions.”

“Hey now, you loved the World’s Tallest Thermometer,” I whined.

He reached over the center console and wrapped his big hand over mine, pulling it away from my notebook, “I love you, my beautiful Ghost Eyed mate.”

“I love you too, my big Beast of Barrow.”

Photo credit: Adrian @aows

Fallen Lorde- Extended Epilogue (Spoilers for Kootenai Pack)

Hello all!

I’ve been working on Mark of the Void and Ginger’s book so much, I’ve been missing Kootenai. It’ll be a while before we get out of Easterville so here’s a bit of a taste of what happens after Fallen Lorde.

This takes place almost Eighteen years after the Fall of the House of Lorde (fifteen years after the end of Fallen Lorde)

“Kendrick! Kendrick! Come quick!” I shouted. No, I screamed. The bowl of popcorn dropped from my hands, popped kernels spread all over the wooden floor.

I survived over a hundred rank challenges, birthing twins, and every challenge my job as Kootenai Pack Beta threw at me. 

But this was too much. 

It was too soon.

They were too young for this.

“Willow!” Kendrick came bounding out of his office to the game room and he skidded to a halt, “Is that? Are those?”

I nodded, unable to rip my eyes from where my teenagers had been arguing only a minute ago. It was just a normal family movie night. The kids were yelling once again about movie choice while I made popcorn and Kendrick finished up his Alpha duties for the day. 

I was only in the kitchen for a minute, but when I returned, my twin teen terrors were gone. Replaced by two wolves. The tiny black one chewed on my brand new sofa, while the fluffy white one turned its attention to the popcorn all over the floor.  

I guess if there had to be a perk to my children getting their wolves early, I’d take popcorn clean up. 

“But it’s too soon,” Kendrick said, easing his way behind me, “They’re barely fourteen.”

“You shifted at thirteen,” I reminded him. 

He winced, “I was also in the midst of major trauma,” over the years, Kendrick made amazing strides in therapy. He was very open with Danny and Ava about his relationship with his parents and his history with the leaders of the Rogue Shifter Coalition. Overtime, the whole pack knew about the treatment we’d all faced at the hands of the deceased Alpha Biel. 

I rubbed Kendrick’s arm, “I guess having to watch the remake of the Mighty Ducks for the tenth time this year would have been pretty traumatic for Ava.”

“You’re hilarious.” 

Kendrick looked back at our pups- whelps. My babies were whelps now. I was officially old. Soon they’d be leaving for out of pack education and finding their mates and having pups of their own. 

“Who do you think their mates are?” I asked, “Should we let the twin terrors loose on the town and find out?”

Kendrick growled, “They’re too young.”

I threw my head back and laughed, “I’m not saying I want to be a grandma or anything, I’m just curious if it’s anyone in the pack.”

“I just don’t want them to feel pressured one way or the other.” 

I agreed. We’d grown as partners raising our pups and growing our pack. But the rejections of our Moon Blessed Mates still lingered. Our howls turned to whimpers over the years eventually disappearing altogether, but the pain never truly went away. 

I loved Kendrick with all my heart, my wolf did too. We found each other and created the life we always wanted. In doing so, we shaped the pack in our image. Moon Blessings stopped being an excuse for unhealthy behavior. My pups would never know the pain I felt with Jackson. They’d never suffer the absence Kendrick felt when Aster left. 

The two adolescent wolves stopped chewing on their respective distractions and started chewing on each other. 

“At least they’ll always have a sparring partner.” 

“Ava’s going to kick Danny’s ass,” Kendrick said, watching the two wolves roll around on the rug. 

“How do you know which one’s which?” I asked. The pups hadn’t stopped moving long enough to figure out who was who.

Kendrick shrugged, “Your daughter has hunter written all over her. Danny’s a lover, not a fighter. Besides, if he’s too mean to Ava, little Millie Nelson would never forgive him.”

At the sound of Millie Nelson’s name, the white wolf lifted his head. After a second, he bolted from the game room. The black wolf which must be Ava, took off in the other direction. No doubt to cut her brother off before he ran to her best friend’s house.

“You’re on Danny duty,” I yelled, following my daughter down the hallway. 

“Stay safe, I love you!” Kendrick yelled on his way out of the room. 

“I love you too!”